Brake for bending sheet metal



(ModeL) I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1..

JUM. ROBINSON.

BRAKE FOR BENDING SHEETMETAL. No. 393,683. Patented Nov. 27 1888.

(Mod e1. 4 SheetsShet'2.

J. M. ROBINSON.

BRAKE FOR. BENDING SHEET METAL.

No. 393,583. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

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(ModeL) 8 I 4Shets- -Sheet 3.

8 J. M ROBINSON.

BRAKE FOR BENDING SHEET METAL. No. 393,583. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

II //A I) A f) (ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' J. M. ROBINSON.

V BRAKE FOR BENDING SHEET METAL. No. 393,583. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

w'dfiiaessesx V ge Q JMM/QW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. ROBINSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BRAKE FOR BENDING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393.583, dated November 27, 1888.

(Model) To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. RoBINsoN, a resident of the city of Oincinnati,in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for BendingSheet Metal, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention, its several features, and the various advantages resulting from the employment of said features together or otherwise, will be fully apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is an end view of the upper portion of a brake with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top View of the same end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing one feature of my in vention. Fig.4representsacross-section,taken through the dottcdline was of Fig. 1,01 the rear portion of one end of the machine. Fig. 5 represents a rear elevation of the parts shown in cross-section in Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the part of the device which is at the right hand in Fig. 5, and looking at that side of said portion which is on the left hand in Fig. 5, said portion being separated from the rest of the portions of Fig. 5 at the dotted line yy in said last-named figure. Figs. 7, 8, and 9, in section, represent positions of the jaws and the folder or bending-bar during the operation of bending the metal sheet, Fig. 7 showing the position of the jaws and folder at the beginning of said operation, and Fig.8 showing the metal sheet bent at a right angle, and Fig. 9 showing the metal sheet bent at an acute angle. These views are deemed sufficient to illustrate the well-known fact that sheet metal can be bent at any desired curve or angle, and are here introduced to illustrate certain operations of my improvements here inafter described. Fig. 10 is a vertical trans verse section of thebending-machine,taken on the line a z in Fig. 2, and looking toward the center of the machine. Fig. 11 is a similar section to Fig. 10, and also taken on said line 2 z,but looking in the opposite direction. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the machine.

N is the lower stationary clamping-jaw, forming the base of support for the sheet of metal to be bent. This base is suitably supported, preferably upon appropriate legs, as a.

Above the stationary jaw is a movable jaw, M, the ends of which are secured to or formed with the end pieces, 13.

The stationary jaw N has at each end a bed or bottom piece, A, and each of the latter is provided with a rcarwardly-extending portion, O,at the end of which is an upturned projection or arm, 0, and upon each of the portions 0 is placed an adjustable sliding supportingpiece, D, which may be moved back and forth on the arm 0 by an adjustingscrew, D, passing through the upturned arm 0, and either connected to the sliding piece D, so as to ad vanee and retract the latter, or arranged to simply advance the said piece D by bearing against the latter. This sliding piece D is provided with a screw, d, preferably a capscrew, as shown, by which the piece D may be secured at the desired point on the arm 0.

Each of the supporting-pieces D is provided with an arm, (2, projecting from that side of the supporting-piece which is toward its end of the machine. The end piece,B, of the upper clamping-jaw M extends rearwardly beyond the jaw, and to each of these end pieces, B, near its rear end, is secured a yoke, B, within which yoke is placed a box, b, capable of sliding vertically in said yoke and capable of vertical adjustment, as hereinafter mentioned. In the box b is placed the pivotarm d, and these arms d and boxes I) thus form the pivoted point of connection between the jaws M and N.

Each box I) is, as mentioned, capable of sliding up and down in the yoke B, and is adjusted and secured in the desired position by the set-screws b and b, one passing through the end piece, B, and bearing on the top of the box, and another passing through the bottom of the yoke B and bearing against the bottom of the box. It will thus be seen that I obtain a double adjustment of the pivotal point of connection between the two jaws.

At each end of the lower jaw, N, and prefably connected rigidly to bed-piece A, is a forward extension, A on which extension is journaled the bending-jaw P. The bending jaw P extends entirely across the front of the machine, and in section is preferably shaped as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. It terminates in enlarged extremities, to which the journals P are attached in such location that the inner edge of the upper surface of the bendingjaw P coincides almost exactly with the axis of the journals P. Any convenient form of lever. as I, is attached to the ends of the journals P, and by these the bendingjaw is operated. These three jaws are arranged so that their edges may be brought to one common point, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.1, which is necessary when a sharp bend is to be made in the sheet of metal.

The vertical adjustment of thejournal-box 1) enables me to keep the extreme forward edge of the upper jaw down tight on the metal sheet when thcjaws are brought together. If not desired to form a perfectly-sharp bend in the metal sheet to be bent, the sliding piece I) is moved back by the adjusting-screw I). This capacity to advance and retract the upper jaw enables the machine to be adapted to bend metal sheets of different thickness, and also enables the bend in agiven sheet of metal to be sharp or otherwise angular, according as the front edge of the upperjaw is nearer to or farther from the front edge of the lower jaw. A shaft, F, extends through the ma chine from end to end, and on each end of this shaft is a cam, F, each cam being secured to the shaft by one or more set screws or keys, f. In the face of each of these cams which is next to the end pieces, 13, is formed a camgroove, 9, (see Fig. 3,) formed in the are of a circle, the center of which is nearer to the front of the machine than the center of the shaft F, and a roller-stud, H, is connected to each end piece, B, in such a position that it will engage with the groove in each cam F. Each cam is provided with a suitable handle or lever, H, by which the cams are respectively moved back and forth. A curved projection connected to and extending from the end piece, 13, or jaw M, and moving in the groove g, may, when desired, be employed in lieu of the roller, and, when preferred, the groove may be in the end piece, B, or jaw M, and the roller or curved projection be in the cam. These cams being both secured to the same shaft, they must both move together, and as they are moved in one direction or the other the action of the cam-groove r on the roller-studs II raises or lowers the upper jaw, M, said jaw turning on the pivot-arm d. The center of the circle of which the groove 9 forms a part being in front of and a little above the center of the shaft F, as the cam F is brought forward, the top of the groove g presses down on the roller-stud II, and this brings the upper clamping-jaw down on the lower jaw or on the sheet of metal placed be tween said jaws, and when the cam is moved in the opposite direction the bottom of the groove 9 lifts the roller-stud H and the jaw M.

The vertical adjustability of the box I), as before stated, enables me to adjust the machine for different thicknesses of metal, and also to compensate for any wear on the rollerstud or on the groove 9, as the pivotal point of connection of the upper jaw to the machine may be adjusted up or down at will.

In bending narrow pieces of sheet metal it is not necessary to operate both cams F, and

I therefore loosen the set-screwsf, which secure the cam not to be used to the shaft F, and said shaft isthen free to turn in the latter cam. For the purpose of better securing this looscned cam and preventing the upper jaw from rising at the end where the said loosened cam is, I provide a screw, J, which is screwed through the cam and is long enough to enter a hole in the side of the end piece,B,when the cam is to remain at rest, as shown in Fig. 3. \Vhen this screw is so screwed into the end piece, B, this end of the jaw M is prevented from rising. It now becomes necessary to loosen the adjusting-bolts b and b at the opposite end of the machine, as the end of the jaw at the said opposite end of the machine must now rise bodily, being prevented from turning on the stud-shaft (1 when the free cam is moved backward. One man may now operate themachine, and by pushing the cam F back the end of the jaw is raised and he can put his narrow sheet of metal between the jaws, after which the cam is brought forward, and the upper jaw is thus clamped down on the sheet. lVhen both cams are to be employed, the screw J is retracted from the end pieces, 13, and notched washers or plates K slipped between the head of each screw and the face of the cam, which will prevent the screw from being screwed into the end piece, 13. These washers K are preferably pivoted to the cams, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the machine herein described the bending-bar is operated by hand; but when very heavy metal is to be operated on, this bar may have such connections as to cause it to be operated by steam or other power, and any preferred form of such connections may be employed. After the piece of metal to be bent has been grasped by the jaws M and N the levers P are depressed and the jaw P moves over the edges of the jaws M and N, and, in conjunction therewith, bends the metal to any desired angle. The means for varying the sharpness of the bond by adjusting the jaw M has been already described.

\Vhile the various features of my invention are preferably employed together, one or more of said features may, when desired, be employed without the remainder, and one or more of said features may, so far as applicable, be applied to and employed in connection with brakes of construction other than the one herein particularly specified. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: I

1. In a machine for bending metal sheets, the combination of a base or supporting-jaw and a movable clamping-jaw, the latter being connected to the former by a pivotal connection, said connection being constructed for 1 vertical adjustment, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The jaw N and base or bed piece A, provided with pivot-arn1 d, in combination with the clamping-jaw M and end piece, B, provided with a vertically-adjustable box, I), the latter being arranged to turn on the said pivot arm d, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The base or bed A, having rearward extension G,and sliding blocks D, seeu red thereto and longitudinally adjustable, in combination with the pivot-arm d, clamping jaw M, end pieces, B, each having a yoke, B, in each of which yokes is a vertically-adjustable box, I), for receiving the pivot-arm 61, said boxes being retained in the desired position by adjusting-screws b I), substantially as and for the purposes specified. 20

4. In a brake-machine, the combination of the end piece, B, having yoke B, box 1), screws 1) b pivot arm d, sliding support D, bedpiece A, having extensions 0 G, screw D, and screw cl, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a brakemachine, the combination of the end piece, B, having yoke B, box b,serews I) W, pivot-arm d, sliding support D, bed-piece A, having extensions 0 O, screw D, screw d, 0 shaft F, earn F, and set screw or screws f, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JAMES M. ROBINSON.

Attest:

E1). R. HILL, J. WM. STREHLI. 

